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Forum Discussion
MASSIVE SECURITY PROBLEM - Genie Logs Into Neighbor's Router
When I am connected to my network via WiFi and either open up the Genie application, or go to routerlogin.net on a browser, I see a neighbor's R4500, rather than my R8000. When I connect to my R8000...
Your wireless devices connected to his router, not yours. You wired device connected to your router. The 'security breach' was on his end. Probably an unprotected SSID and the signal was stronger that your SSID and the wireless devices connected to his signal. Look at your wireless devices and see what SSID it is connecting to, and IF it even sees your SSID.
You didn't detail what your wireless devices are? If Windows PC's or Laptops, you can get Acrylic (https://www.acrylicwifi.com/en/wlan-software/wlan-scanner-acrylic-wifi-free/) install and run it and you can tell what SSID's and thier power and channels are around. I doubt his SSID is the same as yours but it could be on the same channel and stronger signal.
If you are worried he can connect to you, check YOUR router log, it should show (if enabled) who is connecting by IP Address and MAC Address. From your post it probably only is your PC.
Yes, that is the problem. I connect to his router, rather than mine, even though I am on my wireless network. His signal is way weaker than mine, and regardless of that routerlogin.net (and the Genie application) should resolve to my router when I am on my SSID.
He has a password set, but for some reason I am able to get on his router as admin.
Clearly, there is a significant problem with the way routerlogin.net / Genie work.
lennyr wrote:Yes, that is the problem. I connect to his router, rather than mine, even though I am on my wireless network. His signal is way weaker than mine, and regardless of that routerlogin.net (and the Genie application) should resolve to my router when I am on my SSID.
He has a password set, but for some reason I am able to get on his router as admin.
Clearly, there is a significant problem with the way routerlogin.net / Genie work.
You can't get on his router UNLESS you are ON his network, period.
You are CONNECTED to 2 different networks from your description. Your own from a hard wired PC and HIS via wireless. Genie is working as it should, opening a browser on your PC and going to 192.168.1.1 (assuming that is your router IP address and it is the same as his) or using routerlogin.net will put you on YOUR router. Doing the same on a wireless device will put you on HIS router as that is what you are connected too.
If he is using the DEFAULT UID and PW (admin and password) then that is why you can get onto his router on wireless. If he has NO Security set then you can connect to his router via wireless. If he HAS security set then you need the passphrase to get on. If it happens to be the same as yours then it is possible the wireless devices can get on, but you must have the same SSID's as well.
Have you tried Acrylic?
Did you run from a Command prompt IPCONFIG /ALL and compare results between the PC hard wired and a wireless device?
Another question, HOW do you know you are on his router using Genie?
"You can't get on his router UNLESS you are ON his network, period"
I know you're trying to help, but this is DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE, and saying otherwise, no matter how emphatically, does not make it so. I am on my network SSID, but Genie puts me into his router, as Admin.
No, going to 192.168.1.1 has the same result as using the Genie application or routerlogin.net. They all put me on his router.
Yes, I tried Acrylic (thanks for the tip). It shows the same thing as other wifi scanners I used. My SSIDs show as much stronger than his.
As to how I know I'm on his router rather than mine, it is because mine is an R8000 and his shows as an R45000, because we have different SSIDs for our networks, and differnet passowrds (which I can all see, since I'm Admin).
lennyr wrote:"You can't get on his router UNLESS you are ON his network, period"
I know you're trying to help, but this is DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE, and saying otherwise, no matter how emphatically, does not make it so. I am on my network SSID, but Genie puts me into his router, as Admin.
IrvSp's explanation is plausible. There is no way you can log into your neighbor's router unless you are actually connected to his Wi-Fi network. The only other way for traffic to reach his router is through your Internet connection, but that's not possible because 192.168.1.1 is a private IP address. It's not routable through the Internet.
Can you post a screenshot of one of your devices showing the SSID that it is connected to? And a screenshot of the SSID broadcast by your router?
It's really a good idea to change the SSID name to something more personal. The default names (i.e. NETGEARXX) can lead to this sort of confusion when neighbors also possess Netgear routers.
At the very least, make your device forget the Wi-Fi network it is joined to and re-join the network.
You could also try asking your neighbor if he sees you connected to his network.
